Most visitors to Turkey from the UK, Ireland, the US and the Gulf do not need a visa at all — but the rule is narrower than people assume, and it is different again if you are coming for medical treatment. This page sets out what the Turkish authorities publish, and where the traps are.
Check before you book. Entry rules change, and they are set by the Turkish government, not by us. Everything below reflects the rules as published at the time of writing — always confirm on the official Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs page before you travel.
The short version, by passport
| Passport | What the Turkish MFA publishes |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | No visa, up to 90 days in any 180-day period, tourism or business |
| Ireland | Check your current status on the official MFA page — it has changed before and may again |
| United States | No visa, up to 90 days in any 180-day period |
| Saudi Arabia | No visa, up to 90 days in any 180-day period |
| United Arab Emirates | No visa, up to 90 days in any 180-day period |
| Kuwait | No visa, up to 90 days within a 180-day period |
| Qatar | No visa, up to 90 days within six months from first entry, tourism and transit |
| Bahrain | No visa (ordinary passports), up to 90 days in any 180-day period |
| Oman | No visa, up to 90 days in any 180-day period |
| Iraq | Not visa-free in general. e-Visa applies; a narrow exemption exists for official passports and, for tourism or transit only, ordinary passport holders under 15 or over 50 |
Three things that catch people out
1. The 90 days is in any 180-day period
This is not 90 days per trip — it is a rolling limit. If you have spent six weeks in Turkey already this year, that time counts against your next visit. Border officers calculate it, and overstaying carries fines and possible re-entry bans.
2. Your residence permit does not help
Living in Dubai or Riyadh on a residence visa does not give you visa-free entry to Turkey. The rules follow the passport you travel on, not where you live. If you hold a passport that needs a visa or an e-Visa, you need it — even if you are flying from a Gulf hub on a Gulf residence permit.
3. Not every British passport is exempt
UK ordinary passport holders are exempt. Holders of British National (Overseas), British Subject and British Protected Person passports are not, and must apply at a Turkish embassy or consulate — not online. This matters in the UK communities that travel most.
If you are coming for medical treatment, read this
This is the part most medical-tourism sites skip. A tourist entry and a treatment entry are not the same thing. The UK government’s own travel advice tells travellers to check separately for entry “for education, employment or medical purposes”. Turkey operates a medical treatment visa route for people travelling specifically to receive care, applied for through a Turkish consulate, and it has its own document requirements:
- A letter from a doctor stating that the treatment is necessary
- Proof of travel health or accident insurance valid for the whole stay — the consulates specify a minimum coverage of €30,000 or equivalent, and the policy must cover transfer to a medical facility or your home country after discharge, and repatriation in the event of death
- A passport valid beyond your stay, and the usual application forms and photographs
In practice, many patients who are visa-exempt for tourism enter on the tourist route for short treatment trips and are not asked about it. But that is not the same as being entitled to, and it becomes a real problem if you have complications and need to extend your stay, or if your treatment requires you to be admitted. Tell us the treatment, the duration and your passport before you book flights, and we will tell you which route we would expect to apply. We do not apply for visas on your behalf and we cannot give immigration advice — the decision is the consulate’s.
Passport validity
Turkish law requires a travel document valid for at least 60 days beyond the end of your permitted stay. Airlines enforce this at check-in, and they are often stricter than the law: several carriers apply a six-month rule of their own. If your passport has less than nine months left, renew it before you book.
The e-Visa, and the fake e-Visa sites
If your nationality needs an e-Visa, it is applied for online and is usually granted within a day. The only official site is evisa.gov.tr. Many lookalike sites — some using domains one letter away from the official one — charge large “service fees” for the same form, and a few simply take the payment and issue nothing. You should never pay a third party to submit an e-Visa application.
Health checks and other conditions
Some nationalities must present a yellow fever certificate if arriving from certain countries, or travel on specific approved airlines when using an e-Visa. These conditions attach to your passport, and they change. The MFA page below is the only list worth trusting.
Sources
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs — visa information for foreigners · Official e-Visa portal · GOV.UK — Turkey entry requirements · HealthTürkiye (Turkish Ministry of Health) — medical visa
Related
All guides → · Where to go → · Health treatment in Turkey →
Ask us before you book anything
If you are unsure which entry route applies to your passport, or what your clinic needs to provide, ask us — we will tell you what we know and what we cannot advise on. info@gen.gen.tr